Kiara in the Golden City

I guess this was it; the moment I had been waiting for. The answers came with waves of emotions as I remembered the last time I was here. The broken dilapidated stone homes, adorned with wooden roofs, and cloth doors. Fire pits left dug holes throughout the plazas and the road began to come up as the rains washed the stones free. 

 Kiara padded throughout the mud that rain the night before had mixed with her nose to the ground sniffing. Little squeaks and whines as she seemed docile and nervous. The incorporeal tribesmen and woman stepped from their homes to watch and greet us with gentle waves. 

 “It’s okay sweetheart, they won’t hurt you. You remember them, right? The night you were born.” The small wolf gives a soft whimper before sitting on her haunches as one of the beings stepped forward from the mass and kneeled to the you pup, the woman’s hand reaching to gently pat Kiara’s head. 

 “Good morning, Mama.” Was echoed by “Good morning, Gran’mam” that came from a little girl. She stood a few feet tall as the wolf pup changed, the sounds of bone breaking and snapping into place still making me wince, but I felt relieved to see the wristlet stay wrapped around her daughter’s wrists. The girl’s long matted straw-like hair faded closer to a grey and her eyes a glowing sea of silver. 

 “It is so very well to see you my dears, finally found your way back home?” I gave the woman a gentle glare, but I needed to say anything as Kiara spoke up with a rattling head shake, “ No! we have two homes Gran’mam! You should come visit with the family; Mommy will make you good food!” The girl beckoned to those that stood beyond us and as her mother stood to come and greet her, the village people shook hands with her daughter. 

 “I so very much missed you my blossom, I honestly thought you had forgotten about us.” I rolled my eyes at my mother’s dramatics. 

 “Unlikely, mama. I hear you sing to Kiara every night, and kiss Damir and Mina to sleep.” Was my response as I hugged her tight and buried my face in her clothes. The lingered with the smell of lavender and it drew me to when I was younger and would hide in her skirts. 

 “That boy seems wary of me, so I give him as much space as I am willing. But young Mina, her mind babbles on and on. An endless girl of questions and critiques.” My mother pushed me back to look down upon me after speaking and with a smile she kissed my forehead. “Come, it’s about time you show us your true self again. I want to see the beautiful daughter horns and all.” 

 I followed the woman, before scooping the giggling girl how found a friend in a small spirit in the shape of a butterfly. “And what if this is my true self?” I asked my mother. 

 “The request still stands the same, cheeky wind” I smirked at the woman’s response before we were led away further into the bustling forest and as we finally passed the barrier, I felt my eyesight faulter, but knew that the gasp from her daughter revealed the City of Gold. Soon my sight returned once more, and I stood as I once was to stare across the golden expanse. 

 “I forgot how timeless this place felt” I shivered at the feeling as the magicks seem to almost crawl across my skin. 

 “Look it Mama! The waterfalls, oh the dresses, they got pretty dresses! Can I have one!? Please!” My daughter turned desperate and in her unclothed form, it’s not as if I could say no, but almost as if the beings knew one stepped out to with dress in hand. I set the young girl down quickly using the woman’s help to don the white gown. 

 I stared into my daughter’s eyes, as the silver had warped to golden pools of energy, and her smile brought a world of calm. My mother took my attention as Kiara rushed to a nearby fountain to see herself in the waters, “You may call it timeless now, but the more you spend here the more disjointed you might feel” 

 My mother seemed distant as a group of Versi maybe their way down the grand steps and past buildings that stretched high into the sky, yet they blocked no sunlight. The congregation stop as a Man stepped towards me and moved to speak. 

 “I have not spoken yet of that Delemon, let her rest from her journey, let our granddaughter see her city before we talk business” My mother affirmed before the man. I bowed gently to my grandfather, but he nodded in my mother’s direction before giving me a hug. 

 “Come, let us take a tour and show them the city and all it has to offer.” My grandfather took Kiara up in arms, “Hello my beautiful princess, did you enjoy the spirits I sent your way?” Kiara nodded excitedly before babbling to the man. 

 “I only have time of a day, then I have to return to my life” I warned my mother, “I only came to give you and her time to meet, whatever plans—” My mother shook her head as we started to follow. 

 “This isn’t something we can avoid, blossom. Someone must do something, and you are the only one to even be close to accomplishing the task. Remember your vows, remember the oath you took to your people.” Was her response. 

 I gritted my teeth but quickly wiped the look away as Kiara called out to me. “I don’t, but I can’t keep my wife in the dark forever… I can’t lie and holds secrets, the guilts becoming to much and she will be apart of this world at one point whether you like it or not—” 

 I took Kiara up as the little girl gave me a kiss and a smile. “It’s okay Mama, I know you will be strong and happy, I can see it.” 

 My mother put a hand on my back and with a smile nodded, “She is not wrong, the little one knows how best to sneak about even our society of timeless. The river has turned, and Damir and Mina have not quite avoided all your influence. There are talks of your wife and children, across time. This is talk for later as I have a restaurant, I wish to show you and Kiara, they have the best dumplings” 

 I watched my mother as she met my grandfather and they spoke in whispers. “Kiara, stay close, I worry about you regardless of what I can see”, the little girl nodded at me, “I know Mama, I love you dearly for that” 

 I couldn’t help but to smile at her, “Besides, you and Melody haven’t gotten the chance to meet yet, have you?”